Two Sides of The Same Coin
by thepsykoshipper
Summary: [ABANDONED] Full Explanation Inside! Contains minor crossover between Thor the Dark World and Captain America the Winter Soldier. Sequel to "Flirting With Danger", "A Heart Torn", and "Whirlpool"
1. Jai

_Jai Xu is a happy-go-lucky biochemical scientist for Hydra. After Hydra defeats S.H.I.E.L.D., she continues to experiment with an unknown alien substance with tragic repercussions._

_After doing her time with the X-men, Coulson brings Halle Rhodes in to assist in the training of an agent who has recently acquired special abilities. Rhodie must balance her new job and her all of a sudden clingy boyfriend Loki Laufeyson._

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**Hello All, I'm back! I'm experimenting here with some new characters so I could really use your feedback. I'm really excited to see where this story goes, and I hope I can update it often. Enjoy!**

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_Three Years Ago_

**Jai**

_Running here, running there, why does this job require so much running?_ I wondered as I sped down the hall, making sure none of the files or papers I was grasping flew away. Even though it was the dead of night and no one was around, my eyes darted around suspiciously. I reached the only lit room in a hallway of darkness and I felt as if I were inside a horror film. I giggled in spite of myself, thinking of how the people in the audience of the theater would probably be yelling at me to stay away from the room.

I immediately wiped the smile off my face as I slipped into a seat surrounding the table in the middle of the lit room. The light hung lonely in the middle of the room, and the aquamarine tint radiating from it would've worked better as a camera filter than a lighting source. I lay my files on the table and prepared myself for what would be a long meeting.

At the head of the table was a tall, grey haired man with coke-bottle glasses. He wore a grey suit, which I thought complimented him nicely, and I had told him that many times before. He was often extremely serious, which is why I always made it my personal goal to make him cookies or tell him about a cool movie I had just seen. I looked up to him, even though I was pretty sure he didn't even know my name.

The room was not as full as I had expected. To my left and right sat people in black suits or dresses, sitting politely in their plastic chairs. I knew everyone in the room by name, I had made them all cakes on their birthdays, and I went out of my way to say hello every morning. Most would thank me kindly, few would return the favor, and some wouldn't even say anything at at. One in particular was a chiseled, dark haired man with a permanent scowl on his face who always sat beside the man at the head of the table. Every time I would try to strike up conversation, he would always answer my questions in no more than two words. It got so frustrating that I stopped saying hello altogether. Leon would always wonder why I kept giving him cakes on his birthday, and I would reply that if I didn't, no one else would!

"Jai," he would say, "you have the kindest heart that I have ever known." He would laugh, his thin lips would curl into a sideways crescent moon, while his eyes would scrunch as he let out a low laugh. The laugh I had come to find as a comforting sound. Leon and I were inseparable, so close that people often confused us for siblings. We have the thick obsidian hair and brown almond eyes. Our parents had been friends for ages, having both lived in China when they were young. We were flung together from the earliest of moments; it was never just Jai or just Leon, it was always Leon and Jai. We both became interested in biological science, and both headed into the same career field.

Leon sat to my right at the table and I was glad he was here, these meetings always left me feeling stressed out. But he would always take me out for ice cream afterwards and we would end up playing video game until two in the morning.

The old man in glasses asked me to close the door to our room and the meeting began.

"There's nothing to be worried about," he began. "This get together is nothing more than a check-in. I'd like you each to go around and say what your current project is."

This was usually how we started out, even though everybody knew everything that was going on at all times. But this time, I was excited. Leon and I had been working with some new alien technology and I was excited to mention it to the group.

A woman sitting next to Leon spoke first. "In the communications division, we have been working on cleaning up the mess after Tony Stark's little show. The media is having a field day with it, and it's our job to make sure we maintain face through the situation."

"Very good," nodded the man. "Who's next?"

I looked to Leon. His eyes faced forward, he was incredibly serious. He didn't say anything.

"Agent Wen?" asked the man. Leon turned his face down, obviously not wanting to speak. I thought it was odd, so I spoke instead.

"Agent Wen and I have been working with the new-"

"-engineering and biochemical recruits," interrupted Leon. I looked at him incredulously, why did he not want to tell the man about our new discoveries?

"They brought in a new batch from the academy and Agent Xu and I have showing them around," continued Leon, staring at the table.

"Is this true, Agent Xu?" asked the furrowed brow man sitting beside our leader.

I paused, my heart started racing. I had to trust Leon; there had to be a reason why he wasn't revealing our finds to the group. "Yes, it is true."

"Well than, nice work."

I looked to Leon, pleading for a glimpse of eye contact, a reason for lying. But I received nothing as we continued around the circle. People talked of their work in aviation, combat, and other areas which I tried to find interesting. Finally, the meeting seemed to be coming to a close.

"Great work everybody," commended the grey haired man. "You have all contributed to our cause, never lose sight of it."

He stuck out both fists outstretched. "Hail Hydra."

We echoed. "Hail Hydra." And the meeting concluded. I made sure to say goodnight to Dr. Whitehall and the sour-faced Mr. Bakshi.


	2. Halle

_Present Day_

**Halle**

I wrapped my black coat tightly around my torso and shivered as I exited the jet. I smelled the familiar smell of gasoline and metal and it made me feel right at home. Coulson could tell by the look on my face how excited I was and he smiled. I was glad to be back, and I was ecstatic that Coulson was alive. It felt odd to be re-joining a program I had previously been a part of. Ever since I had been to Asgard, I had been thrown into new and sometimes alien situations, whether it was fighting with the Avengers, becoming a historian, or enrolling in mutant school. But this was going to be easy. I had previously been a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent for years, specializing in combat. It had always been my first love, which was why when Coulson reassigned me to headquarters to be a historian, I was less than thrilled.

My boots clicked on the concrete as I was lead by a scruffy British man to Coulson's office. I didn't recognize the place where he had taken me, there was no way this underground hide-out could be the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. I knew we had to reorganize after Loki blew up the old one, but I didn't think it would come to this. The surrounding brick wall and lack of adequate heating reminded me more of a tricked-out bomb shelter than a headquarters.

Coulson sat across from me and sat back in his office chair. He didn't look any different from the last time I had seen him, except that he was maybe a little more tired. He was balding still, and he never seemed to change out of that black and white suit. I almost didn't believe my eyes when he showed up at my room at Professor Xavier's and asked me to join his team again.

"I'm sure you have many questions that you would like to be answered," said Coulson.

I rolled my eyes. "Drop the formality, I'm not a snooper." I picked up a paperweight on his desk. "I know that whatever it is you're not telling me must be of the utmost important."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Well you're the first."

"Oh you know me, breaking new ground wherever I go," I chimed.

There was a knock on the doorframe. Coulson and I turned to see a serious, Asian woman perched at the doorway.

She curled her lip into a half-smile. "When Hunter told me he was bringing you in, I thought it was just a rumor."

"Melinda May," I smiled. Agent May was about ten and a half years my senior, but we were pretty similar in combat. We had fought side-by-side in a couple of missions, but I usually tried to avoid the lifeless woman; I had never once seen her show any form of emotion. I didn't particularly dislike her, she just wasn't the friend-making type. I felt like she was judging my every move, which is why I straightened my disgruntle chocolate bangs and tried to look presentable.

"What've you been up to all this time?" she asked, stepping in to Coulson's office. Her thin lips pursed, begging for an answer.

"Oh the usual, kicking butts, taking names." May scoffed.

"May, she's here to help with Skye," input Coulson. May's face immediately went to stone. I was also confused, did Coulson want me to use my mutation to control the clouds?

"She...knows about this sort of thing?" asked May cautiously.

"If you mean mutations," I said, lifting the water from a nearby water bottle and twirling it around my finger, "then yes, yes I do." May's eyes got wide, I'm not sure if it was with either horror or wonder.

"Agent Rhodes, I've told you," said Coulson. "She is not a mutant. If it was something as simple as that, I would've have called you in."

"Yes, speaking of mutants," I turned my back to May and put my elbows on Coulson's desk. "Were you ever planning on telling me about James' mutation?"

His expression remained composed. "I had assumed he was going to tell you."

I scoffed. "Well he didn't. I think it would have been a crucial piece of information to know...I don't know...when he was stalking me?"

"You were kept safe," Coulson countered. "He never found you while you were under our supervision." Those last words struck extra meaning, and Coulson knew it; _while you were under our supervision._ When I was with the X-men, my ex-fiance, James Sumner, found me and forced me to do his bidding to save my friends. He never forgave me after I left with Loki and after I broke off our engagement, and he had ever since been stalking me and attempting to rekindle a flame long extinguished. He was a tracking mutant, which meant he could find and track down any person or object as long as he was well-acquainted with it. Lucky for me, James knew me quite well. The last I'd seen him, a bunch of metal robots were tearing him apart.

"Has she met her yet?" asked May, breaking the awkward silence. Coulson shook his head.

May smiled again. "Follow me, Agent Rhodes."

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May lead me through the twists and turns of the underground labyrinth. We passed rooms filled with weapons and strange science equipment. I saw a blonde man and woman bent over a microscope in what seemed to be a scientific lab.

May noticed my curiosity. "That's Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons. They're inseparable, which is why most of us call them FitzSimmons. They're the head of our science division for the team." I raised an eyebrow, figuring this was the most I had ever heard Agent May talk at one time. "The man you met on the plane was Lance Hunter. He has an ex-wife named Bobbi Morse who you'll probably meet soon. They have another friend named Alfonso Mackenzie, who most people call Mack. You'll usually find him with FitzSimmons."

"They really seem to be rolling out the welcome wagon," I observed. May's voice turned grave and dark.

"The transformation of the girl affected all of us," explained May. "We lost an agent and a friend. The team still hasn't quite recovered." I nodded knowingly. We continued down a hallway and entered another type of lab. I saw a young woman sitting on a bed. She was separated from the outside world by glass walls, and I assumed she must have been quarantined. She looked terrified, and I knew exactly how she felt. Being surrounded by people who didn't understand mutation was the hardest part for me, I had to learn to hide and control my emotions.

"Skye," said May to the woman. She looked up from a magazine on her bed. "This is Agent Halle Rhodes. She's here to help."

Skye looked confused. "Another doctor?" she snarked.

I laughed. "Hardly." I slowly approached the glass. "I'm sort of like you."

Now she just looked at me like I was crazy. "There's no one else like me."

"You'd be surprised." I turned and raised a hand, lifting water from a nearby bottle and levitating it in the air. Skye pushed against her bed in fright, trying to distance herself from the flying blob of water.

"W-w-wha-a-a?" she sputtered.

"I can control water," I explained, feeling unintentionally superior. "I feel the water's energy in my veins, so if I get too worked up, my mutation can go off without me controlling it." I gently placed the water back. "That's why I learned to control it."

Skye said nothing, but instead sat on her bed, staring at the water bottle. May lead me to a room where I would be staying, even though I would have rather stayed and talked more with Skye. I knew I would have to gain her trust before we would have any hope of her controlling her abilities, whatever they were. She reminded me so much of me, scared yet unique. She even kind of looked like I did. She wasn't that much younger than me, probably two or three years, but her wide cocoa eyes contained a childlike innocence I had seen in few agents. Her long, wavy brown hair was almost identical to mine; the only difference we had was that Skye had medium skin whereas I was pasty white. She seemed pretty sarcastic, and I know sarcasm after staying on a plane with Tony Stark, which could be some sort of coping mechanism which she used to disguise the pain she was feeling.

I figured Coulson would probably call me when he needed me, so I set up my laptop and thought about Skype-ing with Steve. He would be thrilled to find out what I was doing now.

Suddenly, my door opened and Skye poked her head in.

"Agent Rhodes?" she asked timidly.

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**OOOO Skye watchu doin'? **

**Anyways I'm working on this story more and more and I'm enjoying it. But feedback is always welcome. Please review, favorite, and/or follow!**


	3. Jai and the Date

**Jai**

I casually sipped on my Coke as I reclined as best I could in the cheap plastic chairs. I looked across the room and wrinkled my nose in disgust. Leon, adorned in an off white lab coat, was bent over examining a microscope, while Petra Columbus leaned next to him, head in her hands expectantly. Leon looked up from his microscope and said something that Petra apparently found hilarious. _How funny can a microscope really be?_ I thought, trying not to shoot daggers in their direction. I turned back to my notebook and continued recording.

Three years ago, Leon and I had been working on breakthrough alien technology. But as we progressed, Leon became less and less enthused by what we were doing. He would attempt to change our course, sometimes averting focus altogether. We ended up fighting a lot, and I had no idea why he didn't want new of our discovery to reach Hydra's authorities. But eventually, Leon promised me to drop the experiment all together. I tried to convince him otherwise, but Leon was my best friend, and if he didn't believe in something, I had to trust him. It broke my heart, and Leon knew it. We stayed friends, but nothing was really the same. We had been one in the same, but after that Leon started dating around, and I saw less and less of him.

His newest fling was Petra Columbus, an engineer whose outfits didn't quite fit right up top. She wore her hair in girlish, golden ponytails, and she chomped on bubble gum and she giggled. I rolled my eyes and turned back to my notebook.

Dr. Whitehall had been killed about a week ago. Mr. Bakshi and Agent 33 had been missing ever since. Everyone was worried, but nobody seemed to be attempting to search for them. Leon would ask me why I was worrying, after all, neither of them were ever very nice to me. But I couldn't help it. And it wasn't necessarily true, they both had their nice moments. Agents 33 would half smile at me everytime it was my Friday to bring make cookies, and Mr. Bakshi even returned my hello the morning before he had gone missing, I almost couldn't believe it.

Leon stopped his engaging conversation with Petra and walked over to my desk, peering over my shoulder. He made a sound of disapproval. I turned and looked at him incredulously.

He frowned, "your equation is all wrong."

My eyes grew wide and they darted to my paper. I heard stifled laughter, and I punched Leon in the rib. "Don't scare me like that."

"Lighten up, Jai," he laughed. "You and I both know you'd never have a wrong equation. You're too much of a perfectionist."

"I just want everything to be orderly," I explained, sitting back in my chair. "I want the heads of Hydra to know I'm doing a good job."

"You are," he encouraged. "But you should take a break." He put his hand on my shoulder and I felt a jello sensation in my stomach. "Come get drinks with Petra and I."

My smile fell. "I'd hate to be a bother on your date."

"Jai, you're never a bother," he stressed. "Besides, she has a friend who's looking for someone to show him around. A relocated Hydra agent."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're setting me up on a date," I sighed in realization. Leon nodded stupidly.

My mouth forcefully curled into a wide smile. "Why not?" I said. "I need to get out of this lab."

"Great!" Leon's face lit up. "We're leaving in ten minutes." He rushed off to tell Petra and I slumped in defeat. If Leon was suggesting him, he had to be a decent enough of a man. And the way his face lit up when I said I was going would carry me for days. I sighed dreamily, not realizing I was subconsciously drawing a heart on my notebook.

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I had plenty of time to think as I rode in Petra's car to a nearby pub. I spent most of the ride trying not to focus on Petra's obvious flirting with Leon. I wished I had worn something a little more presentable to work today. Pulled a loose thread off of my pastel pink sweater and tried to throw it, but it ended up landing on my navy skinny jeans. I looked up and saw Petra's golden curls whip back as she laugh and I immediately felt self-conscious of my long, wiry black hair. I tried to brush through it with my fingers quickly before we pulled up to the pub, which opened to a side street. Petra and Leon entered holding hands, and I hovered awkwardly behind, searching for my blind date.

"Jai!" called Leon, over the noise of the eatery. "This is Grant." He gestured to a tall, built man with short black hair. He smiled a no-tooth smile and me and shook my hand.

"Hi," I greeted, getting caught up in his kind, brown, eyes.

"Nice to meet you," he smiled. I blushed.

Petra found us a table and we all sat down. I quickly sat next to Leon, even though I received a glare from Petra, and Grant sat across from me. He immediately picked up a menu and began to study it.

"The Trigger Burger's looking good," he said. His eyes caught mine; I looked behind me.

"Oh, me," I muttered embarrassingly, whipping my head back around to see Grant laughing quietly at me. "Um yeah...burger."

"Or the Jalapeno chips," he suggested.

I wrinkled my nose, "I can't stand spicy food. One time when I was four, my Uncle gave me a fire pepper and told me it was candy. My mom gave me some milk, but my Uncle made me laugh and it ended up coming out of my nose. I've had trust issues ever since." I laughed to myself, but suddenly fell silent as I look at Petra and Leon staring at my, disgusted.

"Ew," muttered Petra, turning back to her menu.

Grant laughed. "I've had my share of nose and milk incidents." He smiled a me, and I immediately forgot about Petra and Leon. I smiled back.

"Sounds like a crazy Uncle," Grant continued playfully.

I nodded vigorously. "The kind you only have around at Christmas, but ends up passed out on the couch."

"My mom always said it was better that way." We both laughed. Maybe this night wasn't going to be as much of a disaster as I thought.

The rest of the evening went off without a hitch. Grant had me mesmerized; he was funny, relatable, and just plain charming. I got so excited when exchanging stories about our favorite movies, Leon had to tell me to calm down. When he wasn't looking though, Grant and I exchanged looks like he was crazy. We enjoyed our meal, and Grant paid for my meal chivalrously.

"I hope I can see you again," he said, as we were exiting.

"You've hoped correct," I smiled, handing him a napkin with my number. Soon I was in the car with Petra and Leon again, sighing dreamily the whole way back to the facility.

It was then I noticed that not a word was said between Petra and Leon the whole ride home. Actually, now that I thought about it, I didn't remember them speaking very much for the entire dinner. Petra's once-bouncy curls had grown graven, and Leon looked boredly out the window. When we got back to the facility, Leon pulled me aside.

"I have to say, Leon," I confessed, "I wasn't too thrilled about going out. But I actually had a great time!"

Leon's eyebrows raised. "Are you kidding? It was a disaster!" The wide saucers of my eyes waited with concern for an explanation. "The food was burnt, the waiter was slow, and don't get me started on Grant-"

"What about him?" I asked angrily.

Leon looked at me like I was a stranger. "Don't tell me you actually liked him?"

"Of course I did!"

He scoffed. "He was just showing off. He's way too cocky."

"He was charming and very nice," I countered. "And we are going on another date."

Leon was taken aback. "You are?"

"What did you think? That I was going to wait around in our lab until I was an old maid?"

He shook his head, his temper calming. "Still, I don't think this is a good idea."

I groaned. "I'm not discussing this with you." I turned and walked away. I didn't stop my wide strides until I got to my one room apartment in the facility. I took a warm shower, still smiling at the thought of Grant and his warm smile. I drew hearts out of the condensation on the shower wall. Again and again. Then I wrote our names.

_Jai Xu + Grant Ward_.

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**Mmm yea so that's what Ward has been up too. Anyways hope you guys enjoy this switching between characters and all, I've never done it before. I'm working on the next chapter right now so it should be out within the week!**


	4. Halle and the Fans

**Halle**

I smiled warmly and put my laptop to my side. I gestured for Skye to enter the room and patted on the edge of my bed. She took slow steps, as if she had just seen a scary movie and she was waiting for me to take advantage of that fact.

"What can I help you with?" I asked softly after she made herself comfortable on the end of my bed.

"Back in the lab, when you made that water float," she gestured in the direction of the lab. "How did you do that?"

"I'm like you, Skye," I explained. "We're special."

Skye scoffed. "I'm not like that at all."

"Why don't you start by showing me what it is that really makes you special," I encouraged. Skye shook her head rapidly. "Why not?"

"The last time it happened, somebody died." I saw retreat in her eyes, as if she was regretting coming here. I had to make her feel more comfortable.

"The first time I used my mutation, I almost killed myself," I admitted.

"Mutation?"

"When I was born, my DNA was arranged differently. When I was thirteen, I started to get weird sensations running through my body." I paused. "And they weren't the typical teenage sensations." Skye smiled, I was making some headway. "I learned that the sensations were my mutation sensing all the water in the general area."

I reached out and gently touched Skye's hands. Not intently to be overly friendly, it just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I saw so much of myself in Skye. The girl that wanted to break out of her shell, to release her inner demons, but put on a front to show everyone that everything was okay. I got over my charade through Loki, and I wondered how Skye was coping. Not everyone has a Norse God who wisps them away whenever they feel like it.

"I want to help you, Skye," I confessed. "I'm just not sure I know how."

"How did you learn?" She smiled a curious smile.

My face darkened. I had spent most of my life running away from that part of my life, my teenage years. When I broke free of my chains, I hoped that part of me wouldn't sting as bad, but I was wrong.

"Through training," I explained, "and sacrifices."

"Whoa, that took a dark turn."

I looked at Skye seriously. "Powers are not a game. If you can get a firm grasp on them, then they can become a beautiful and useful tool. But if you let them control you, there will be pain."

She moved to the edge of my bed and looked at the wall. "I don't know how to control them."

"And that's normal," I said, trying to wave aside the depressed mood that was lingering in the room. "But Coulson brought me in to help you, which means you must mean a lot to him. Anyone who means that much to Coulson means a lot to me." Skye smiled and looked down.

"He's like my father," she admitted to the floor. Suddenly she stood up and shook her head, laughing as if she just realized the ridiculousness of her situation.

"What is it?"

She licked the front of her teeth, a stalling mechanism. "I need to get back, nobody knows I left quarantine."

I got up. "I'll walk you there. If anyone asks, it was me who let you out." Skye nodded and smiled. We walked through the chilly concrete hallways when we stumbled upon the young man I had seen earlier in the lab. He has boyish curls and wore a plaid button-up, he would've been adorable, except for the worried look plastered on his face.

"Skye!" he exclaimed when he saw us. His accent was thick and Scottish, and it reminded me of the many accents I had come across during my time in Asgard. "I've been lookin' everywhere for you!"

"Calm down Fitz, I was just with Agent Rhodes," she said, patting the boy's arm. Fitz looked at me and gawked. "Fitz what is it?"

"You're Agent Rhodes?" he asked. I nodded, a little worried by his expression. Suddenly, he took my hand and shook it. "It's such an honor to meet you. Coulson's told us all about you and you work with the Avengers and Asgard. Quite incredible if you ask me."

I couldn't help but blush. "Oh well thanks."

"Oh I have to tell Simmons, she'll be so jealous." With that he turned on his heels and walked into the lab again. Skye scoffed.

"You went to Asgard?" she asked.

I laughed. "You know the place?"

"Unfortunately." I stopped.

"What do you mean? Asgard is a beautiful place," I countered, not meaning to sound defensive.

"Yeah, but their magic stuff is pretty scary," Skye said, looking wide eyed at me.

I sighed. "I can agree with that."

I lead Skye back to her room and made my way back to mine. I took the long route; truth be told I was actually avoiding that over-excited Scott. I began to panic a little bit, realizing at the stone walls looked the same. But I suddenly felt a warm hand at my side and I was filled with a flittered sensation.

"I wasn't expecting you," I smiled playfully.

"Are you ever?" he asked. He turned my body towards his face and I gazed upon my lover for the first time in what felt like forever. Loki's obsidian hair was once again short and well-groomed, and his smile shone as bright as the first time I met him. He cupped my cheeks in his hands and I closed my eyes. I felt his lips meet mine and I sunk in; this was the best 'hello' kiss ever.

I pulled away, smiling. "How did you find me."

"It wasn't that difficult," he answered quickly, going in for another kiss. I obliged, for a few seconds.

"Is this you?" I whispered between kisses. "Are you really here?"

Loki stopped. "Halle, you know I can't"

"Yeah, yeah, the King thing." I pressed my head against his chest. "I just want you, Loki. You you, not a picture."

"And I you," he whispered into my ear.

"I haven't actually seen you since the battle of New York," I whined. "Don't keep your lady waiting."

Loki smiled at my mockery and kissed my neck tenderly. It was then I realized how much I yearned for him. Logan was a nice placeholder, but my life really hadn't been the same since I was taken off of the grid and put into the X-men. I wanted Loki by my side, not just every now and then again in a dream, but next to me every morning and every night. I let Loki smother my neck with his love, closing my eyes and enjoying the moment. Suddenly, the kisses stopped and I looked and saw a petite woman with curls staring at me.

"Beg your pardon, Agent Rhodes," she said in a British accent. I blushed profusely. "But when Fitz told me the actual Halle Rhodes was staying in our bunker, I just had to see for myself." She smiled an excited smile, and I wished I could've turned invisible.

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**Sorry but I forgot to mention that this story was going to have some minor crossover with Thor, but I mean Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. the show has some too so why not? Also, this chapter is up so later because the wifi in my house sucks and I have a limited window to work on my stories. But anyways, stay tuned! As always, feel free to favorite, follow, or review!**


	5. Jai and the Boom

**Jai**

I found myself blushing as I spoke softly into my cell phone. The chill of the glass pressed against my skin was forgotten and replaced with a warm feeling running through my body. I caught a glimpse of Leon perched over a microscope. He thought I couldn't see him staring; he was wrong.

"Grant stop it," I giggled, twirling my hair around my finger.

"I want to meet again," he purred through the phone.

"Well," I smiled, "I'm not doing anything tonight."

"Great, I'll pick you up."

"Jai!" called Leon. I groaned.

"It's Leon," I sighed. "I'll text you." I hung up the phone and went to see what Leon was whining about. He had been especially needy ever since our double-date, and I had not seen Petra at all since then either. Any other time, I would've been flattered, but I had Grant now. Leon picked the exact wrong time to be interested in me.

"What is it Leon?" I asked, putting my arms on his desk, hoping he'd detect my annoyance.

He lifted the goggles off of his face and swept his fluffy black bangs to the side. "I heard you say you were free tonight," he commented, not looking me in the face.

"Yeah, I am."

He scoffed. "Have you forgotten that we are still working on our very special project?"

My eyes widened. Leon hadn't mentioned our project for over three years, why was he trying to bring it up again now?

Actually I knew why, to get me away from Grant. Leon knew I couldn't resist to experiment with our alien technology project that came to a screeching halt years ago. And sadly he was right.

"If I remember right, you were the one who never wanted to return to that project," I said, raising an eyebrow. I swore I saw Leon blush.

"Maybe it's time to bring it into the light. With gone and Bakshi missing, maybe Hydra could stand to be shaken up again," he smiled. I sighed.

"You know I can't say no," I pouted.

Leon pulled out the aquamarine vial that we had kept in hiding ever since Leon decided to shut it down. The sparkle of blues and greens reflected in my excited eyes, and I felt the same rush I had felt the first time I had started to experiment of the liquid. Some of our combat Agents came across the vial after raiding an old S.H.I.E.L.D. lab and nobody had seen anything like it; Leon and I were completely starting from scratch. All that we had discovered at the time was that the liquid had incredible healing powers. When I found this out, I wanted to alert Dr. Whitehall, but Leon stopped me. We had to experiment in secret, and because I couldn't use all my tools in the lab, I never really found out anything new.

When I studied biochem at the university with Leon, numbers and concepts never came easy to me. I had to suffer through nights of staying up to memorize formulas and procedures from our thick handbook. Leon would try to help me, but I could tell I was just slowing him down. He was a much more visual learner, he picked up on patterns quickly, and was killer at word searches. He tried to help me make up mnemonic devices to help with my memorization, but none of it helped. But the story was completely different in the classroom. Labs was where I excelled; the pure physicality of the experiments were like second nature. But none of that mattered if I didn't know the basics, the numbers, the formulas. So I still ended up working extremely hard, and eventually, I prevailed.

That's what I thought about this alien object all those years ago. If I worked as hard as I could on it, that I could find a way to figure it out without using my strengths. But when Leon took the entire operation off the table, I lost faith in myself and my abilities for a while. That kind of confidence never really returned.

I used a pipette and squeezed some of the liquid onto a microscope slide and slipped it under the high-tech magnifying glass.

"The only thing I remember about this substance was that it had remarkable healing qualities," I commented. "Do you still have that rat without the leg?" Leon nodded and retrieved the rat. I took some of the liquid and dropped it onto the stub. Leon took the leg of the rat and reattached it, with the substance acting like an adhesive. We watched the rat, looking for movement of the leg, but saw nothing.

"I'll put him back in his case, and we'll monitor him for any improvement," Leon said. I turned back to the microscope. I studied the liquid and noticed that the makeup of it looked familiar.

"Leon," I called. "What does this look like to you?"

He peered into the microscope. "Like human genetic make-up, with a few alterations. And its blue."

I sat in a stool. "How had I never seen this before? If this has similar genetic make-up as a humans, maybe it's not supposed to heal rats, maybe it's suppose to heal humans." I looked to Leon for confirmation.

"If what you're saying is correct, there's no way to prove it," Leon put his hand on his chin.

I never could have predicted what came next.

One of the walls of the lab exploded, and debris flew everywhere. I screamed, but was quickly silenced by dust and smoke burning my throat. There was no time to run for cover, so I was hit in the stomach with bits of concrete and I fell to the floor. I heard Leon cry my name, but my main focus was to protect the substance. I flitted my eyes to the vial; Leon took the hint and shoved it into his pocket. He picked up my limp body and attempted to maneuver through the dust and smoke. I was impressed, I didn't think Leon's thin frame had the strength to carry me.

My focus was jarred as my adrenaline wore off and the pain in my abdomen exponentially increased. I groaned and felt myself going into shock. I had heard tales about going into shock from the combat specialists, but I was never meant for the field, I was a scientist. I had only carried a gun during training, I didn't know how to punch effectively, and I had never experienced a wound such as this, even when Hydra defeated S.H.I.E.L.D. and chaos broke out.

"Leon?" I panicked. "Leon, help me!"

His face was covered with ash and pain as he looked down at me. He set me down underneath a desk and cradled my body in his chest. He purred encouragement as he removed my lab coat to survey the damage.

"You're losing a lot of blood, Jai," he explained, trying to stay calm. "I'm going to use your coat to stop the blood."

We were interrupted by another blast and Leon pulled me into his chest, making me cry out in pain. My breath started to come short and my eyelids felt heavy. "Leon, please help me," I panted.

I saw a tear sliding down his cheek as he pressed the coat on my stomach.

"I'm trying, Jai," he whimpered. Suddenly, I saw his eyes flit to the vial in his pocket. He pulled it out and held the glowing liquid.

I used all of my strength to protest, "No," I gasped. "No...telling...what it could do."

"I'm not going to let you die," Leon said and I saw in his eyes that there was no way I was going to convince him otherwise. He poured some of the substance on my stomach. Immediately, it began to burn, and I had to grind my teeth to keep from screaming. "Jai? Are you okay?" I dug my fingernails into his leg and let out a quite screech.

I heard footsteps and I suddenly saw boots in front of our hiding spot. Leon put his hand over my mouth.

"Jai?" called a familiar voice. "Leon?"

"Grant!" cried Leon. "Help! It's Jai."

I passed out from the pain as Grant picked me up.

* * *

**Who would want to hurt the little science babies? Hopefully Jai will recover.**

**Don't forget to review, favorite, and follow!**


	6. Halle and the Closing

**Hey guys, just a heads up. This chapter contains a lot of reference to my previous story: A Heart Torn. If you've read it, great! If you havn't, check it out! It's an Avengers fanfic with my same OC, Halle Rhodes.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Halle**

I retreated to my room again, utterly embarrassed. I hoped Loki would show up again, since I was alone, but my room stayed lonely. That was one of Loki's upsetting features, he never visited. I wasn't over the top furious because I knew he lived in another realm and he had to smooth some things over after the Battle of New York. But still, maybe a call every now and then? He only ever seemed to visit when I was unconscious (he says it's easier for him to transport if it's through the subconscious) which I was a lot when I was with the X-Men. I missed him, more than I had ever missed anyone. More than my parents, more than Steve, more than Coulson after he died. The feeling seemed to be present in my life often, but Loki was different.

I returned to what I was going to do before Skye entered my room: calling Steve. He was going to be thrilled I was working for S.H.I.E.L.D. again and maybe we could even meet up. My laptop chirped as I patiently waited for a connection, and my heart tensed a little bit when I saw the words "connecting." The last time I talked to Steve, I had turned him down in his time of need. The pain I saw in his eyes was something I never wanted to see again. But I couldn't go with him, I had to save my other friends, as well as two other mutants I had met along the way. I never regretted my decision, but the memory plagued me every night since. Coulson told me he was still alive, so that put me at ease a bit, but I no idea anything else that had happened since then.

My face shrunk into the corner of my laptop screen as Steve's perfect, pixelated face smiled at me. I was hit with emotions, and my hand flew to my mouth in surprise of this feeling.

"Halle!" He looked thrilled.

"Steve," I breathed. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"After our last encounter, I would've said the same."

I took a deep breath. I was hoping he didn't bring it up.

"Well I just wanted you to know, I'm back working for S.H.I.E.L.D.! I'm an agent again!" I smiled proudly.

His eyes widened excitedly, "that's great! There's not many people I would actually trust if they said that to me. Where are you?"

I looked around my room, realizing I had no idea. "I'm not exactly sure."

He nodded understandingly. "Typical S.H.I.E.L.D."

I laughed.

"So when can I see you?"

"Soon I hope," I smiled. "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too, Natasha isn't quite as friendly, and Maria's too stone-faced."

Coulson told me when we were on the plane that only a select number of people knew that he was alive. That list consisted of the people that currently lived in the underground bunker, and a handful of others. That handful did not include Steve, or any of the other Avengers. It killed me not to be able to tell him the reason why I was brought back, instead I had to offer up the reason Coulson gave me: "I felt like I was needed here." I had told Coulson it was lame because that was the same thing I said to Steve when I told him I was staying with the X-Men, but Steve apparently didn't think anything of it.

"I'm glad that you're back," commented Steve. He looked to the ground suddenly, as if what he was going to say next was extremely difficult. "Rhodie, about New York…"

"Don't beat yourself up, Steve," I calmed. "Fury was the one who overreacted. I have powers, just like you or Dr. Banner."

"So…" he said slowly," …what can you do, exactly?"

I smiled at his awkwardness. "I can control water.

"Well that makes sense," he said, obviously recalling the Battle of New York.

I shrugged, giving him a _what can you do?_ look.

"Is that why you were gone?" he asked, tentatively.

I swallowed. "Yes, it had to do with my powers."

"Why didn't you just tell me that?"

I looked into the millions and millions of pixels that made up his soft brown eyes and melted. He didn't care that I abandoned him in his time of need, he cared about my well-being. "I don't know, Steve. I don't know." The rest of our conversation continued without any mention of that fateful day, and for that, I was glad.

"You should be getting some rest," Steve commented after we had spent an hour chatting. "First day back is always the most tiring."

I nodded. "Goodnight Cap."

"'night Superstar." His face froze at I ended our connection. I clicked my laptop closed and fell into the first blissful sleep I'd had in a long time.

* * *

The sun was shining on the boardwalk of Cony Island. I had only been a few times when I was a child, when my brother, Bjorn, and I had pestered our parents to the point of no end. They reluctantly took us on vacation to New York, what seemed to be a never ending drive from our temporary home in New Jersey. But once we arrived, we were ecstatic, and it was one of the only fond memories I had of my parents.

I smelled the deep fried goods as licked a chocolate peanut butter ice cream cone. My other hand was occupied holding Loki's hand. He looked more casual than I had ever seen before, sporting a loud orange Hawaiian shirt, cargo shorts, and eyes wide with surprise. His other hand carried a half-eaten corn dog practically dripping with grease, but he didn't care. I smiled in spite of myself; he almost seemed human. Suddenly, he stopped walking.

"Halle," he asked. "What is that metal beast?"

I looked in the direction of where he was looking and laughed, "that's not a beast. It's called a roller coaster. You ride it."

"I wish to ride the Roller Coaster beast," he announced. I smiled gleefully and lead him to the line.

As we approached the front of the line, I could see Loki's hand twitching, and his fierce eyes darts around the crowd of people in line. "You're not nervous, right?" I smiled, taking his other hand.

He scoffed. "The rightful King of Asgard is not scared of beasts." I rolled my eyes and we were lead to our seats. The oily carnival worker slid the bar in front of us; Loki never let go of my hand. We took off slowly, building suspense as we climbed the hill we bumped up and down with the clicks of the track, but it was almost a little more than usual. My teeth chattered involuntarily, and I began to question my decision as we reached the climax of the ride.

* * *

My heart was racing as I quickly sat up in my bed. The dream was over, but the shaking didn't stop. My first thought turned to an earthquake and I bolted out of my room. I didn't know where I was going as I ran down the concrete hallways. I guessed, rounding multiple corners, but was not able to find anyone. Suddenly, I turned a brick corner and ran straight into Melinda May.

"Rhodie!" she said. "We've been looking for you! It's Skye."

I hardly even understood her as the combat agent side of me kicked in. "We need to get everyone out of here before the building collapses from the quake."

"No, you don't get it," said May forcefully. "Skye _is _the earthquake."

I paused, taking in what she had just said. But then without hesitation, I answered. "Take me to her."

May lead me back to the lab where I had met Skye. She was sitting criss-cross on her bed with her head in her hands. I pointed at the Scottish scientist and demanded him to open her quarantined room and I sat down next to her.

"Skye," I whispered. She looked up slowly, and the shaking began to ever so slightly subside.

"Halle, I can't stop it," she gasped, tears running down her face.

"What triggered it?" I asked.

Skye swallowed some tears, but she shook her head. I looked at Agent May and Fitz and waved them away. They reluctantly complied. "It's okay Skye, it's just you and me."

She took a breath. "I overheard Coulson talking about...a man I used to know. A man the whole team used to know."

The shaking began to slow more exponentially. "Okay, good," I said, looking up to see the lights above start to flicker. But I continued to coax, "what about him?"

"He blew up a Hydra base."

I looked at her curiously. "Isn't that a good thing?"

She shook her head. "Not for him. He was on Hydra's side, but now feels like he's trying to make right with us," her breathing slowed, "with me."

I nodded. "Did you have a personal relationship with him?"

Her eyes flashed to mine defensively. "Something like that. Now he's a monster."

"I knew a man like that once," I sighed. "He worked for S.H.I.E.L.D., followed orders, and he was fiance." Skye's ears perked. "He also became a mad man."

"What happened?"

I looked at the bed uncomfortably. "I fell in love with another man from another world. It was then that I realized that I wanted so much more than what he was giving me. He caught me cheating on him, but he wouldn't accept breaking of our engagement. He believed that he could make me remember that I loved him, and maybe I would have, if I had loved him in the first place." I took a deep breath. "He went to extreme lengths to make me remember...even hurting me physically. But the difference is that my ex-fiance actually did turn into a monster, he was a mutant just like me, and he let it consume him. I did completely cut him out of the picture in the end, and I've never felt happier."

By the end of my story, the shaking was almost completely gone. I put my hand on Skye's shoulders. "Everything is going to be fine."

* * *

**Yeah, after I wrote this, I realized it was a lot of filler. Anyways, hope you enjoyed Halle's re-connection with Steve! And as always review, favorite, and follow!**


	7. Jai and the Vision

**Finally! A new chapter! Sorry guys, but I haven't been able to get to my laptop to post this chapter quickly. But I hope it's worth the wait!**

* * *

_Two Weeks Later_

**Jai**

I sputtered awake. My mouth was dry, and my lungs struggled to rise and fall. My vision was blurry, but I could make out Leon's distinct swishy bangs looming over me. Whatever he was saying was muffled, and I closed my almond eyes again. There was a pain in my abdomen; it wasn't sharp, but dull and annoying. I attempted to curl into the fetal position to alleviate myself, but my muscles were stiff and sore.

Then I saw it. The flashes, the markings.

The dreams.

Aquamarine lines and circles lit up the void that was my vision. I felt my body spasm, and a warm hand touched my shoulder. My arms and legs thrashed, but I must have been restrained because I couldn't move them from my side. They probably thought I was having a seizure, and maybe I was. I had never before felt this sensation, or seen these symbols. I tried to turn my sight away from the lines, but they surrounded and engulfed me. My breath came short as I began to panic at the sheer vastness of it all.

But this episode was something I was already familiar with. It had happened three, possibly four times while I was unconscious; a small part of my mind was jolted awake enough to register the symbols and be afraid. The first time it happened, I wanted to scream, but none of my muscles worked. By this time, I was adjusted, and just tried to struggle through it.

After about five minutes, the symbols vanished, and my body lay limp as I let out a breath of relief. I felt the same warm hand shake me, but I was too exhausted to open my eyes. I tried to steady my breath to let Leon know that I was fine. My hearing began to come back as I heard Leon pleading my name.

"Jai, please wake up," he whispered.

There was the whoosh of a door opening and heavy footsteps grew louder. "How's she doing?" _Grant _I immediately recognized his voice. Him and Leon seemed to be the only ones in a close vicinity.

"She had another spasm," Leon reported. "She's fine now."

"Have any idea what is causing it?"

Leon slammed something on a table next to my bed, possibly a clipboard. "It has to be that goddamn alien healing substance I gave her back at headquarters!" He was fuming, his footsteps were short. "I knew I shouldn't have given it to her, but I reaction is unlike anything I've ever seen."

There was a paused. Leon was breathing heavily beside me.

"You used an alien healing agent on Jai?" asked Grant.

"Her abdomen was punctured from the dubris of the explosion," Leon explained. "I gave it to her shortly before you found us. I thought she was going to die."

"Where did you find the substance?"

"Some agents found it in an abandoned S.H.I.E.L.D. laboratory."

There was another pause, but this time I heard Grant pacing.

"You should have never given Jai a healing solution that had never been tested," scolded Grant. "Let alone an _alien_ healing solution!"

"You don't think I'm not ashamed enough?" Leon barked. I left his soft hand on my cheek, and I might have smiled if I hadn't been so exhausted. "I've gone over every scenario in my head, allergic reaction, rejection of the fluid, abnormal growths. I want to be sure there are no complications. But her body seems to be accepting the formula, and besides her spasms, she's just fine."

"I don't trust it," Grant pushed. "The physical complications are not the one's I'm afraid of." His heavy steps faded and the conversation ended.

I used all my strength to lift my eyelids and my blurry vision focused on Leon's back. He was bent over a microscope, sitting tiredly on a stool.

"Hey," I mumbled. Leon's head whipped around, and I saw relief in his eyes.

"Jai, you're okay," he breathed as he rushed to my bedside. "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted," I admitted. My sight began to clear and I noticed each and every tired line of Leon's pale face. He tried to hide the bags under his eyes with his wide smile, but the dark circles gave it away. His hair was stringy, like he hadn't showered in a week, and he was wearing his glasses.

Leon always told me how much he despised wearing his thin black frames, no matter how much I tried to convince him that he looked smarter with them on. I had been friends with Leon all our lives and I had only seen him wear them twice. The first was right after he got them from the optometrist and his mother made him wear them the whole day. The second was during a science summer camp we went on when we were in eighth grade. We had been camping in the woods for a few days, and Leon had run out of contact solution. He insisted that he would be fine without his glasses for the rest of the trip, but soon got massive headaches and was forced to wear his glasses for the rest of the week.

Outside of the laboratory, Leon was an unorganized person. His morning routine was the only form of a regimen in his life, and it was very important to him. He liked to keep himself clean and well-presented, which was far from his current state. Part of his routine was putting in his contacts. If Leon was wearing his glasses now, it only meant two thing. One, that Leon had fallen and broke the contact case he always kept in his pocket. Or two, that Leon hadn't had a chance to perform his morning routine, meaning he hadn't slept in a few days.

"Leon you look awful." The words slid out of my mouth before I could stop them. He shrugged and laughed it off.

"Not as awful as you," he retorted.

"You look like you haven't slept in days."

His eyes flitted around the room. "Try weeks."

"Leon!" My eyes flashed wildly.

"I'm kidding!" he smirked. "But I have had to monitor your situation constantly…"

"Weeks?" I reiterated. "I thought I was only out for a couple days."

"Jai, you were out for two weeks."

I gasped. The memories came flooding back, searing pain in my stomach as I remembered how I got the wound.

"Where am I?"

Leon stroked my arm. "Now don't get worked up."

"Leon Wen, where am I?" I pleaded.

He sighed. "We're on Grant's plane."

_Plane?_ I wondered. "Where are we going?"

Leon looked around the room suspiciously. "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure. Grant flies the plane, and touches down every once in a while and leaves. Whenever I try to ask him where he's going, he gets defensive and tells me to go back and attend to you."

"You've never followed him?"

"I wasn't going to leave you by yourself," he defended. "Besides, I don't think we're the only ones on this plane. I'm pretty sure I've seen another woman."

"You're just trying to make me jealous," I said, dismissing the thought of another woman.

"I'm serious!" he squealed. "She had a nasty scar on the side of her face. It was not something I would forget."

I rolled my eyes. "So you have no idea where we are going?"

"Well, I never said I didn't have my suspicions."

"Pray tell, Sherlock."

Leon scanned the room once more. "Honestly? I think he's in cahoots with S.H.I.E.L.D."

My heart clenched. "That's impossible. You yourself told me he was a Hydra agent."

He nodded. "Key word: _was_."

I shook my head. "So first there's another woman, and now he's a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent? Next you're going to tell me he shot the first shot of the Revolutionary War."

Leon ran his fingers through his greasy hair. "Trust me, I wish I could shake this suspicion." He leaned against the desk and closed his eyes, his dark circles burrowing into his eye sockets.

"Leon, you need sleep," I encouraged, "and a shower." He shook his head dismissively. "I'll be fine," I pushed. Finally he gave in and shuffled out of the room. I breathed an easy breath and attempted to comprehend what Leon had told me. Grant had seemed so committed to her; they had been dating after all. He had never mentioned having any sisters or young female cousins. Leon had to be hallucinating, he was sleep deprived and dirty.

But I was more concerned about his second accusation, that Grant was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. He seemed very interested in my work a Hydra, but was he too interested? He told me that his specialty was going uncover, was he going undercover right now? Leon never told me the exact cause of the explosion in the lab.

I hit my head on my pillow. This over-analyzation was silly. I nibbled on a biscuit that Leon had left on my bedside and enjoyed the land of the living, a place where my visions and dreams couldn't find me.

And then I saw her.

* * *

**Who does Jai see? Stay Tuned!**

**I'm hoping to have this next chapter posted sooner but sorry, no promises.**

**As always Favorite, Follow, and Review!**


	8. Halle and the Question

**Sorry this chapter took so long. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Halle**

It didn't really surprise me that Coulson wouldn't let me accompany many of their combat missions; my job was to stay with Skye and teach and train her.

But that was before Coulson thought it was best for her to be completely removed from the world. He had wanted to send her to a safehouse in the middle of the woods, where no one could find her. I protested, saying she would only grow more afraid and that she needed to stay with people who she was comfortable with.

"That's why you are going with her," Coulson said. I was shocked, but I figured it was the best option. He promised me that once Skye got a better grip on her powers, we would be welcome back. I obliged, and Coulson took us to the cabin in the woods.

"It's going to be alright," I said once we began to unpack.

Skye plopped on a couch. It was one of those couches that had a polished log framework and was garnished with a blanket ripping of the Navajo design. It was one of those couches that looked comfortable, but was about as pleasureful as grade school desk.

"Rhodie," Skye said, "how do you do it?"

I looked up from my bag. "Do what?"

"Remain so composed!" she elaborated, gesturing to me.

I sat across from her. "I wouldn't consider myself completely composed."

Skye scoffed in disbelief. "Seriously? You're like my age and you're not only a distinguished S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, but you also have a hell of a grip on your powers!"

"It wasn't easy, trust me."

"That's not really an answer."

I sighed. "Short answer? I was sent away to figure out my powers when I was really young. It was one of the best and worst things that ever happened to me."

Skye looked around the cabin. "So you've been through this before?"

I nodded.

There was a long silence as Skye seemed to be taking in the fact that she was in the middle of nowhere, without many of her friends. I saw it register on her face.

"Why don't you take a nap?" I asked. "When you wake up, we can find something to eat."

She nodded and she slowly got up and made her way to one of the two rooms. I picked up a magazine from the coffee table which was surprisingly up to date and began to casually flip through the pages.

"Halle," I heard a voice purr from next to me. I slowly put the magazine down.

"Back so soon?" I joked. "It's only been two weeks. You're coming off as clingy."

Loki smiled and reached out his neck to kiss me.

"I missed you," he admitted.

"You always miss me."

He laughed. "Well, now that I'm not in that god awful cell anymore, I have more time to spend with you."

"Is that a fact?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

He smiled and kissed me again. This was such an odd occurrence. I always nagged him about visiting, but he wasn't able to when he was in his cell in Asgard. He would visit me in my subconscious, but I craved for his actual presence.

"How's Asgard?" I asked, curling under his arm.

"All is well, for now," he said. "Peace seems to be temporarily restored to where it was before the Dark Elves."

"Awesome."

"How was your adventure?" he asked, turning his head to look at me. "You never told me about it when you got back."

My heart clenched. "Well...I was going to...before we were so rudely interrupted." I stopped. I really didn't want to explain to Loki the dangerous things I had done when I was with the X-men. And I definitely didn't want to tell him about my time with James. I hoped he wouldn't press further.

"So…?"

I swallowed. "It was...adventurous."

Loki looked at me, serious. "Halle." _Damn._

"There was a lot of fighting and combat and it would be really boring just to rehash it." I began to nervous sweat, and I avoiding Loki's expectant stare.

He turned my chin to look at him. "Halle, nothing you do boreds me?"

I sighed. "I lead a mission to save the X-men."

He paused. "Did you?"

"Well of course!" _Please don't ask how I did it_.

"How did you do it?" _Damn_.

I sighed. "Now before you get all upset-"

"Upset about what?" He suddenly looked worried.

I cringed. "I crossed paths with James."

Loki's expression turned from shock, to disgust, to anger. "The man you were engaged to marry? The man who hurt you?" I nodded. "What did he do to you?"

Blood began to thump in my ears as I thought about was happened. I was suddenly hit with a wave of emotions that I was in no way prepared for. I had thought about what happened countless times, but nobody knew what had happened except for the X-Men. I hadn't had to tell anybody like this. The fact that I was telling Loki made it even worse; I knew he would feel more angry at himself than at James for letting it happen. If James wasn't already dead, there was no doubt that Loki would hunt him down and make him suffer, even if I pleaded him not to. I couldn't bring myself to say the words to Loki; I just looked up at him. My eyes began to water, even though I tried to hold it in, by the way Loki stood up suddenly, I knew he knew.

He paced angrily, holding his head in his hands. He muttered to himself about wanting to kill James.

I cleared my throat. "There's nothing we can do about it now," I said softly.

He slammed his hand on the counter and I jumped. He was going to wake up Skye if he kept this up.

"It shouldn't have even been an option in the first place," he growled, breathing heavily.

"It had to be done," I pushed.

Loki whipped his head towards me, eyes on fire. "I could have stopped it! It I only would have been able to!" He was yelling now and I shushed him.

"Loki, you're going to wake up Skye!" I whispered.

"The king of Asgard will be as angry as he pleases," he said forcefully. "Especially when it has to do with the welfare of his future queen."

I froze. Loki froze too. The air was silent and thick with emotion. He cursed to himself and collapsed into a wooden chair. My jaw was locked open and I slowly got up from the couch. I pulled a chair out from the table and took his hand.

"Loki," I said slowly. "You want me to be your queen?"

He looked at me softly. "I was planning on making a day of it, taking you to your favorite places in Asgard: the beach, the market. We were going to have dinner at the castle, and the servant was going to put the ring on top of dessert."

I breathed out and started to cry. "I don't need all that," I sputtered. "I just need you."

Our eyes met ever so delicately. He stood up and bent his legs into the traditional proposal position. I began to cry, but I tried to stifle it because Skye was still sleeping. My hands were shaking as they covered my mouth.

"Halle Amelia Rhodes," said Loki, "will you marry me?"

I nodded ferociously, tears streaming down my face as I kissed him more passionately than I ever had before. My heart was brimming as my pulse increased with excitement.

"We could have the wedding in Asgard, on one of the beaches," I said through tears. I began to remember all the little details that I had wanted the first time I was going to get married. "And we can-"

"I am sure you will figure out all the details," Loki smiled. "Anything you want, just let me know."

My smile started to vanish despite my best efforts to remain. "We can do this together."

"As you wish, but now I must return to Asgard."

The smile was completely gone and only the trail of tears remained. "You're leaving again?"

"You know how it is, Halle." He took my face in his gentle hands. I tried not to blush, I was mad at him. "I'll be back soon."

"Sure," I muttered, as he gave me a quick, lackluster peck on the cheek, and he disappeared. I plopped back on the couch and ran my fingers through my hair. _What the hell had just happened?_ My emotions always seemed to be on high alert whenever Loki was around, and this time was no exception. We went from the extremes of anger, to remorse, to uncontainable joy, to solitude. I groaned and threw my head into my lap, thinking about how he didn't even give me a ring. It was amazing how conflicted I felt about Loki. I loved him, there was no doubt about that, but the lonely feelings mixed with the residue from the Battle of New York made me question my allegiance at times. I was still strong and independent, and I needed to get used to trusting someone who had my best interests in mind.

The door creaked open and I heard Skye's timid voice. "Rhodie?"

"Skye," I said, returning to my upright position. I straightened my pants and hair, trying to look casual. "I thought you were asleep?"

"Well it's pretty hard to sleep through yelling," Skye sat at the couch across from me, looking straight into my eyes. "If I'd have known we were having guests, I would've made brownies."

I dodged her stare. "Guests? There weren't any guests."

"Rhodie, I heard the whole conversation," Skye sat back, crossing her arms expectantly. "Who was he?"

There was no way I could tell Skye the truth without her freaking out on me. I wrung my hands. "Just a friend."

Skye scoffed. "Friends don't usually go around proposing to friends." I winced. "Yeah, I heard that too."

"Okay maybe he's more like a boyfriend."

Skye smiled and sat on the edge of the couch. "Alright, now we're getting somewhere. What's his name?"

I tried to shrug it off. "It's no one you would know."

"Is it that alien guy?"

I paused. So Skye knew something. Coulson must have given some slight background to the team before I had joined. But I wasn't sure how much he had told him.

I blushed. "Maybe."

Skye's eyes widened. "That's so cool! I'm so happy for you, Rhodie!"

She gave me a hug and I realized that she probably didn't know that it was actually Loki I was marrying. I was pretty sure not even Coulson knew that we had rekindled the flame. Part of me wanted to call all of my friends and family and let them know. But then I was hit with a sharp fact: many people still knew Loki for the brainwashed psychopath he was during the Battle of New York. If I told people that I was engaged to a mad man, I would probably never see him again. My S.H.E.I.L.D. agent friends would think I was a traitor and Coulson would never forgive me. I decided right then and there that no of them would ever find out.

* * *

**Halle's going to be Ms. Laufeyson! But how will she go through with it without anyone else knowing?**

**As always: follow, favorite, and review!**


	9. Jai and the Breaking Point

**Jai**

Under Leon's calm and caring hand, I was back to my usual cheery self in no time at all. He continued to get very little sleep, staying a constant vigil at my bedside, even when I would scream at him to go to bed. Even then, he would try to busy himself, calling it "medical research", but I could see through him. It reminded me of all those times we'd find ourselves incredibly bored in high school, before we joined the academy. Leon would pretend to be reading, when instead he would be fiddling with his watch, trying to configure it to shoot lasers.

My stomach wound was almost completely gone. Leon was both appalled and amazed by the lack of scar tissue on my abdomen. I would try to convince him that the alien healing solution had worked perfectly, just as he had figured, but it would only launch him into a guilty frenzy. He would curse himself in Chinese, words that would have gotten his mouth slapped by his overbearing mother.

Grant visited often, usually to relieved Leon from his post. The tension between the two men had only increased, given that Leon almost never wanted to leave my side; the nagging of just one wasn't enough, when Grant began, Leon finally caved in. It wasn't that he didn't trust Grant, he just got prissy whenever Grant and I were alone together. But he had nothing to worry about. Aside from some adorable kisses, we would just sit and talk. He had a way of wrapping me around his finger with his words so much so that I almost completely forgot about what Leon had told me.

_Almost_.

I tried to forget about it, about the small glimpse of a reflection in the glass that I had seen. I convinced myself that I was simply seeing things, there was no way Grant would lie to me. But in the dead of night, when no one was around to expect me to be chipper or laugh at their bad jokes, I would look at the ceiling and think about what I had seen. Some nights I would cry. I missed my family, my friends, my fellow Hydra agents. Usually I would tell myself to put on a brave face, like I always did. But when I was alone in my room, I let the walls fall down. No one had seen me like this, not even Leon. Lately, my feelings had been directed towards the girl in the reflection.

There were also the visions. I would often try to keep myself awake because I knew if I drifted off to sleep, my slumber would be tormented with the visions. The first couple nights it would happen, Grant and Leon would have to restrain me. They were confused by my symptoms, and even more confused when I would tell them about what I saw when I closed my eyes: green lines and circles against a backdrop of sheer nothingness. After a few nights, Leon decided not to restrain me, and instead of convulsing, I sat up, and began to scribble my visions on a napkin with a felt pen. Only Leon and I had seen what I had drawn; Leon didn't want to show Grant until he knew exactly what it was.

"How do we know we can trust him with this information?" he ranted.

I scoffed at the absurd thought. "It's just Grant. He only wants the best for me."

It was Leon's turn to scoff.

"You still think he's stowing a girl on the plane?" I asked, trying to sound confident in the falsity of my statement.

"I just don't want your feeling to get hurt, Jai," he responded sincerely. He would flip his jet black hair which was getting way too long and turn back to his work. Leon's suddenly unshakable interest in me both flattered and aggravated me. Why did he suddenly find me irresistible when I was currently unavailable? He did not seem so keen to care when he invited me on his date with Petra.

Gosh, that date felt like eons ago. Back before our laboratory was blown to bits, before I was injected with alien serum. Thought I feared that it was true, part of me knew that things would never go back to the way they were.I would often reminisce about these days, but then Leon would remind me of the adventure that lay before us. We had both spoken of our desire to be field agents, and now the time had come.

The time had also come for me to be discharged from Leon's intensive care. He seemed extremely hesitant, asking me again and again if I was feeling any pain. Even if I did, I wouldn't have told him. I had been in a bed for weeks, and I yearned to stretch my short legs and have the sun shimmer on my almond eyes. Also showers, I couldn't wait to take a real one.

"Take it slowly," warned Leon, as I pushed the covers off, exposing my pale legs. In my younger days, kids would make fun of me for being so short, and I wished I could have the long legs of the Asian supermodels in my magazines. But I never grew, which is why my little apendages had to stretch to reach the cold linolium. I shuddered as my big toe grazed the floor, sending a sensation through my leg. "You don't have to do this now if you don't want to, Jai."

"No," I hissed. I hooked my right arm around Leon and my bed supported the rest of me. It felt so good to get circulation to my legs again, even if they were extremely weak. The fragile limbs wobbled, but with each step I started relying less on Leon and more on myself. Soon, I walked from one end of the room to the other with little assistance.

"That's amazing!" marveled Leon. "Your progress is incredible."

"I want to show Grant," I said excitedly. Leon's expression turned graven.

"Jai, don't you think that, since you're able to walk again, you might want to clear the air once and for all?"

I tried to giggle off Leon's suggestion. Of course I wanted to ask Grant, but inside, I felt like I would be betraying him. For all I knew, Leon could just be making the scenario up in his head. Grant would question where I would get such a preposterous idea, and when I'd tell him of Leon's influence, he'd think I didn't trust him anymore.

I sighed. "I want to, I just don't know how."

"Just go up and ask him."

"It's not that simple," I groaned.

Leon put one of his firm hands on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes through his ebony, whispy bangs. "If you don't find out now, what happens if you stumble across her on the ship, huh? It would be embarressing for all of you."

My eyes widened. _He's right!_

"If you confront him now, give him a chance to explain himself, everything will be better in the long run," he smiled. "And if I'm wrong, there's no way Grant can dislike me more than he does now." I looked to the ground, why did he have to be so convincing? "C'mon, Jai, it's for the best."

I let out a long, exasperated sigh. "I supposed you're right."

"Of course I am! Now move along!"

Funny how before, Leon was begging for me to stay in the comforts of the sick bay, but now he was urging me to not only leave, but leave to go see Grant. I was left with suspicion on the forefront of my mind, but it was quickly pushed back when I found Grant in the cockpit.

Just seeing Grant was enough to make me giddy. His cropped dark hair showed off his need for order and his smooth eyes seems to look past the superficial in everyone he talked to. Everytime he'd hold me near, I could feel his muscles through his shirt. Sometimes I dance my fingers around his biceps and, if I really got lucky, his fierce trapezius. When he'd hold me, I felt like nothing would be able to hurt me ever again, I was safe and always would be.

When he saw me perched in the frame of the cockpit, I expect him to run to me, sweep me in his arms, shower me in kisses. But instead, all I got was a "oh, hello Jai." My expectant smile faded.

"What's going on here?" I inquired, giggling flirtatiously.

He didn't get my obvious advances and turned back to the flashing buttons of the plane. "Nothing of interest, just wanted to make a quick stop."

"Oh," I mumbled. I sat in the co-pilot spot and kicked my legs over the side, a maneuver I had never performed but hoped would get Grant's attention. I was unsuccessful.

After sitting in silence and observing the clouds for several minutes, I remember my mission. I decided to bring the topic up slowly.

"So," I said, slowly, "why do we need to stop?"

Grant shrugged. "Just picking up some supplies."

"Can I come?"

He smiled one of his most deboneer smiles. "You can hardly walk, let alone carry groceries."

I pressed. "Well someone should help you."

"Who, Leon?" he laughed, and I muttered a pity giggle.

"You're going in without any help?"

Grants laughing subsided. "Yes, Jai. Is there a problem?"

I sighed, looking to the floor. "Just tell me that there's no one else that you're going with."

He seemed stunned, but he did a good job at hiding it. I may have not noticed it if I wasn't a trained Hydra agent. Many believed that us biochemists were weak and defenseless. But when we were in the academy, Leon and I took a psychology class together and I learned a lot about physical cues. Now, Grant wasn't fidgeting or looking around the room quickly, he was too well training for amatuer things like that. But I noticed his throat, bobbing up and down with each swallow. It would clench and relax, a tell-tale sign of nervousness. "What are you talking about?"

"Just say it," I said firmly, staring into his eyes, hoping he would cave.

Instead, he just shook his head and laughed. "Leon's been telling you stories, huh? Stories about how I'm this big bad guy, right?" He slammed his fist on the control panel, hitting the metal. I jumped. "Leon doesn't know what I've been through. He has no idea what S.H.I.E.L.D. has done to me and yet he _dares_ question my loyalty."

My fingers stroked his forearm. "It's not Leon's fault." We paused for a while, I figure it was better to let Grant calm down before I pressed for more answers. "What did they do to you?"

"They destroyed the only love I had in my life. The closest thing I had to a father…" he whispered, choking up. "There were others I was close to, but they were also ripped out of my grasp."

"Oh Grant," I whimpered. "I had no idea."

He bit his lip. "Ever since, I've been trying to find ways to get back at S.H.I.E.L.D."

I suddenly felt ashamed and I dropped my head, the raven locks of my hair falling in front of my face. "I'm so sorry. I should have never questioned your loyalty to Hydra."

He sighed, but pulled my chin up to meet his. "You don't need to be sorry," he whispered, sending warm sensations through my body. "We can fufil our duties as Hydra agents and bring S.H.I.E.L.D. down once and for all." I nodded, and Grant pulled my face close. He pushed his lips against mine, and I felt myself melt into his presence. I wasn't thinking straight, and when we finally pulled away, I was on a cloud.

"So you have a plan?"

He nodded. "It's why I've been making all these stops. Kara and I-"

_What?_

We both stared at each other. Grant knew he had messed up, and he in no way tried to hide it. My breathing came short.

"Kara?" I demanded.

"She's no one, just a girl who has been helping me!"

I stood up, my chest beginning to feel heavy with every breath I forced into them, My legs started to feel unstable and I prayed that they wouldn't give out, I couldn't look weak in front of him. "You lied to me." He said nothing, but instead, waited to see how I'd react. "You've been lying this whole time! About everything!" I was screaming. "I can't believe I was so stupid as to actually believe you! Everytime Leon would tear you down, I would defend you to my last breath! I felt for you, Grant Ward!" My vision started to fade with the hot tears welling up in my eyes. "I bet you're not even an actual Hydra agent! I bet it was you who blew up our lab! You hurt me! You ruined my life!" I felt a pressure building up in my chest, like a volcano waiting to explode. How could he do this to me? Looking back on it, I realized that I had fell into the net that was his charm, and I hated myself for it. I glared at Grant, channeling all my pent up frustration. "I HATE YOU!" I bellowed, and I felt a sensation that could only be described as a snap. Suddenly, all the pressure that had been building up in my body was released, and I was left kneeling on the ground, sobbing.

I wanted to stay there forever. I wanted to escape into the sickbay and never talk to anyone ever again. I wanted to die.

"Jai!" I heard my name and recognized it as Leon. Had he heard my explosion?

I looked up from my wet hands and was almost hit in the head with a telephone.

I gasped, as I looked all around the cockpit and saw various loose supplies floating in mid air. Grant was pressed against a corner, gaping in horror and Leon rushed to me. He tried to ask me questions, urgently from what I could tell, but I was too mesmerized with the fact that there were objects floating in midair. I looked to Leon with red eyes, and saw him mouth _what did you do?_ I was just about to respond that this wasn't me, when I was suddenly enveloped in a sapphire force field. I felt hands on my back, and I was sucked into oblivion.

**Hey guys! Thanks for bearing with me through these past couple of weeks. I've been itching to update this story but just havn't had the chance. Hope you enjoy!.**


	10. Halle and the Intrusion

**Halle**

We had been there for less a week before we disappeared.

It all started when the cabin was under attack and people in black with large guns surrounded the house. Skye and I had been sitting on opposite facing sofas, lazily flipping through magazine when we heard the first earth-shaking pound at the door. My heart almost stopped beating. I quickly turned on the faucet, giving my mutation some ammunition, and Skye desperately tried to call Coulson. Before the battering ram was able to demolish the front door, I pulled Skye through a window.

"Who are these people?" Skye asked, wide eyed and full of worry.

We ducked behind a bush and I twisted the water nervously around my fingers. "I have no idea. Could you get ahold of Coulson?"

Skye's face fell. "No luck." We watched the people in black, through the kitchen window, rummage through our cabin and I couldn't help but feel slightly saddened by the destruction of our temporary home. I felt a sort of emotional connection to the Safe House because of what happened between Loki and me.

Skye interrupted my thoughts. "Whoever stormed this place knew there were people with powers staying here."

I nodded. "This wasn't a random attack."

"What should we do?"

My fists clenched as I thought, while the water from the tap formed a sphere above my right shoulder. We had the advantage of darkness; we could run through the woods and hopefully make it out of the perimeter of whoever was following us. Once we were in the clear, we could try again to radio for help. I explained the plan to Skye and with a curt nod, we took off through the woods.

I did not take into account just how difficult it would be to run through woods in the dark of night. There were several times either Skye or I would trip and fall. But we wouldn't make a sound, for fear of being discovered. With each exhilarating steps, I believed more and more in our abilities, but every time I would throw a glance at Skye's terrified face, my confidence would be smashed like a toddler's Playdough project. Coulson had told me that she was a fully trained agent, but it was obvious that the discovery of her powers took a toll on her, mentally as well as physically.

My lungs burned hot with each step I took, and my breath started to come short. Just when I was convinced that we were in the clear, a beam of light engulfed us. We looked up to see a helicopter following us.

"Halle!" Skye panicked. I grabbed her arm and continued to dodge the blinding beam. I tried to throw water at the helicopter, but the water I gathered at the cabin wasn't enough to take down a helicopter.

"Skye!" I yelled, breathlessly as we continued to sprint. "I need you to take out that helicopter with your powers!"

My tall demand seemed lost in her wide brown saucers.

"If we wait any longer, that helicopter will alert others, and they'll be onto us even faster!"

"We're already here." From behind a tree, a balding young man with a gun stepped out. His expression was hard and relentless. It was obvious we were his target, and his firearm position was set.

"What do you want with us?" I asked, poising to strike.

The man rolled his eyes. "Not you." He shift his target slightly to my right, fixing on Skye. "I want her."

My ears picked up on Skye's uneven breathing. "You won't be taking her," I stated, blatantly. I positioned myself in front of Skye, blocking her from the man's gun. My hands summoned water from moss on the nearby tree, and I collected it in both of my palms. The man's expression came undone as he realized that I was just like the girl they were supposed to be capturing. But after a split second, the man came to his senses and tightened his grip on his gun.

He shrugged, sickeningly, "two birds with one stone."

I began to lift my hands in defense as I heard someone from behind the man scream, "no." The next thing I knew, I was being shot backwards in the air by what felt like a wave of energy. I collected my thoughts quickly enough to use my summoned water to break my fall, but I crumpled into a limp ball on the dark ground. Using all my strength to pull up my head, through my fuzzy vision, I saw Skye standing in the middle of a shallow crater, staring at her hands.

I saw the terror in her eyes as I realized what happened, and I reached out towards her.

"Skye!" I called out. She looked up from her hands and looked to me, horrified.

Suddenly, there was a force field of blue lasers that blinded me. I used my outstretched arm to shield my fragile eyes and when I looked back, Skye was gone.

"Skye!" I screamed into nothingness. My body went limp and I began to shake with anguish. This was supposed to be my job, a job Coulson had come back from the grave to offer me. This was a task I had thrown away everything back at the X-Men for, and I had failed. I had only known Skye for about a week, but I had already felt a connection with her that made her disappearance hurt more than just losing a fellow person with powers. I had lost a friend.

My body refused to move from its mourning position and I was found a few minutes later. Two large men wearing identical black marched me into a large jet. I was thrown into a seat and was approached by a tall, slender woman with strawberry blonde hair who I thought I had seen on base earlier. If Coulson had trusted her to be on the underground base, why was she now treating me like a prisoner? I wondered if what Steve had told me about Hydra taking over had applied to Coulson's selective group of agents.

"You probably don't remember me, Agent Rhodes," she stated, standing with her hand on her hips. Her bright eyes burrowed into mine fiercely.

"You're probably right," I spat weakly, not making eye contact. "I don't usually associate with traitors."

Her eyes flashed, obviously taken aback, but she continued. "I'm Bobby Morse. We went to the academy together." I said nothing as Bobby made herself comfortable in the seat next to mine. "I was short, uncoordinated, and terrible at combat." She laughed to herself. "But you were amazing."

"Where's Skye?" I interrupted sharply.

She pursed her lips. "We don't know."

"What do you mean?" I forcefully inquired. "Your people attacked us and kidnapped Skye."

"My people?" Bobby raised an eyebrow, dodging my question and statement. "Halle, I'm a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, just like you."

My head turned away from her, shielding myself from her obviously lies. "Bursting through our door, chasing us through the woods, holding us at gunpoint. That isn't S.H.I.E.L.D."

I heard Bobby sigh beside me. "Agent Calderon acted against order. We never meant to hurt either of you."

"A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent never would've disobeyed orders to kill another agent," I said, bitterly.

I heard no response from Bobby, but I continued to face in the opposite direction. My mind was flowing with obscenities that I wanted to scream, my hands clenched into fists as I punched the seat. I needed to get out of here, and I needed to find Skye.

Realizing that I wasn't being restrained in any way, I quickly got up and walked towards the back of the jet. We had been airborne for several minutes, so I knew that we weren't at peak altitude. I figured I could jump out the back, and float on a cloud until I found Skye. No one seemed to bat an eye as I stood thoughtfully over the deck opening. I turned back around to get one last look at Bobby and the rest of the treacherous flying crew, and it was enough to fuel me to open the deck. Alarms instantly went off and I was able to throw one last smug grin to the crew before I tumbled through the air.

The fall was serene, as I gathered bits of cloud to land on. But just as I began to get my footing and focus on the task at hand, I was surrounded by a blue force field, grabbed around the stomach, and sucked into darkness.

* * *

I was teleported into a room I had never seen before. It was decorated in reds and golds, and I deduced Chinese influence in the bamboo rugs and cultural artwork. My mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that I was in China, but I needed more evidence to reach a final decision. Cautiously, I poked my head outside to see one of the most beautiful courtyards I had ever seen. The stone walkway was lit with aesthetically-pleasing flowers, and even though I was more confused now than ever, I wasn't afraid to follow the stones. With each step, I took in something new. First it was the view of the awe-inspiring snow-capped mountains. Then it was the design of the other one-room houses, with more obvious Chinese influence. Finally, my path lead me to a wide stone road which lead to a grand gold and red building. My eyes danced on the detail of the building greedily, until I finally rested on a group of people standing on the stairs to the building. One was a tall, blonde man with kind eyes, another was a slender Chinese woman in a red kimono, and the other was…

_Skye_.

"Skye!" I cried, and ran towards her.

Her gaze turned in my direction and her face lit up. "Rhodie!"

We hugged tightly and I felt a sense of relief flow through my body. Our eyes began to mist over as I questioned her.

"What happened to you?" I asked. "Are you okay?"

She nodded vigorous, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I'm fine, Rhodie." I smiled again and wrapped her in a hug.

The kind-eyed man walked up to us. "So, Skye, who's your friend?"

Skye looked to the man and I thought I saw her blush. "Oh yeah. Lincoln this is my friend, Halle Rhodes. Rhodie, this is Lincoln."

Lincoln smiled and shook my hand. "Charmed."

I quickly turned back to Skye. "What is this place?"

"It's called Afterlife," input the red kimono woman who had joined our conversation. "It's a safe place for people like us."

I almost asked her if Afterlife was another place for mutants, but then I remembered how Skye was convinced that she wasn't a mutant, but instead got her powers from an alien rock. So instead I simply clarified, "a place for people with powers?"

The woman nodded. "My name is Jaiying, and I am in charge of preserving the peace and security of this place." Upon further observance, I noticed that Jaiying's face was the home for three large scars that ran from the top of her right temple, down to the chin on her opposing side. An amusing thought flashed to me, involving Logan and his claws that often left similar scars. It was the first time I had let my mind wander to my life outside of S.H.I.E.L.D., but, oddly enough, I didn't regret nor miss my time with the X-Men. Instead, the thought left me feeling satisfied.

I reached out and shook Jaiying's hand, mustering a smile. Something about the woman felt off, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Plus, Skye seemed to be quite taken with her, so I decided to push the unsettling feeling in my stomach out of my mind. "This is a truly beautiful place. I'd love a tour."

"Of course." Jaiying smiled a closed-mouth smile. "And I'm sure you will have time to let the landscape speak to you during your time here."

_Our time here?_ "You want us to stay?" I asked, slightly concerned. I looked to Skye for backup, but she smiled blankly back at me. "I'm sorry ma'am, but we have to get back and help our friends."

The three of them stared at me like I was making a scene, and I realized that I had just said the worst thing possible.

But Jaiying quickly summoned her thin smile again. "We will discuss your stay later. Right now, allow me to show you to your room, and introduce you to your roommate."

I had to struggle to keep from groaning. Just what we needed, another person to keep secrets from. The four of us followed a long, woven stone path to an elegant building that looked similar to the building I had first arrived in.

"Gordon just brought her in, like you, so she's a little shaken up," explained Jaiying as we approached the front door. We slid open the bamboo screen and set foot in a refined scarlet room, decorated with green, Oriental house plants and gold silk. The living room branched out into three other rooms, which I could only assumed was our bedrooms. Just as I was about to question Jaiying about my luggage, she vanished into one of the bedrooms, and returned with a short and slim Chinese girl. She was shaking, and Jaiying put her arm around her for comfort.

"Halle, Skye, I would like you to meet your new roommate, Jai Xu."

* * *

**Hey guys! Thank you for putting up with my laziness. As the summer comes to a close, hopefully I will begin to be more motivated to do things like write. Personally, this is the slowest time of year for me because of the lack of inspiration. I usually draw my inspiration from the new episodes I watch, and since the new season doesn't start for quite a while, it's been hard to me to just sit down and write about something I havn't thought about in a while. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this jam-packed chapter.**

**Pls favorite/follow/review. I really do enjoy hearing from you guys.**

**P.S. If you haven't checked out the cast of AOS and Agent Carter's dubsmash war, I suggest that you do.**


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